Fastener driving apparatus



Oct. 2, 1962.

o. A. WANDEL ETAL FASTENER DRIVING APPARATUS 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1960 INV EN TOR.

Arrows-Y7- Oct. 2, 1962 o. A. WANDEL ETAL 3,056,137

FASTBNER DRIVING APPARATUS Filed Jun 20, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

/47'roEA/E-Yjnit rates ate't 3,lih,l3? Patented Got. 2, 1962 3,056,137 FASTENER DRIVING APPARATUS Oscar A. Wendel, Mundelein, and Richard H. Doyle,

Mount Prospect, lll., assignors to Fastener Corporation, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of Illinois Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,598 7 Claims. (Cl. 13.1)

This invention relates to a fastener driving apparatus and, more particularly, to a pneumatically actuated tool for driving fasteners.

A pneumatically actuated fastener driving device or tool in which a drive track formed on a movable magazine assembly can be shifted into and out of alignment with a piston actuated driver blade is shown in the copending application of Oscar A. Wandel and Richard H. Doyle, Serial No. 683,170, filed September 10, 1957, now Patent No. 2,979,725, issued April 18, 1961, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. In this device, the magazine assembly is moved forward relative to a head portion of the main housing or casting so that the fastener supporting and feeding components of the magazine assembly are exposed. This permits strips of fasteners to be inserted into the magazine. However, in some applications it is difi'icult to maintain the drive track in the magazine assembly in alignment with the driver blade with the result that a safety device inhibits the operation of the tool or the device does not operate properly. This deficiency can be overcome by making the drive track defining structure and the magazine integral with or rigidly secured to the main housing or casting. However, this may result in difliculty in providing access to the magazine assembly and also can reduce the length of the strip of fasteners that can be supplied to the magazine.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved fastener driving apparatus.

Another object is to provide apparatus including a new and improved magazine assembly.

A further object is to provide a fastener driving tool including new and improved means for supplying strips of fasteners to a magazine.

Another object is to provide a magazine assembly extending between a forward portion and a rearwardly extending handle of a fastener driving tool which is capable of receiving strips of fasteners longer than the distance between the forward portion and the portion of the handle connected to the magazine.

A further object is to provide a fastener driving tool including a magazine assembly in which a strip of fasteners is inserted into the magazine through an opening formed in a rearwardly spaced portion of a handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved piston assembly including a piston and a fastener driving element.

Another object is to provide an assembly of a driver blade and piston in which the piston and driver blade are formed With interlocking structures for holding the piston and blade in fixed relative positions.

In accordance with these and many other objects, an embodiment of the invention comprises a pneumatically actuated fastener driving tool having a main housing defining both a hollow forward or head portion and a handle portion extending rearwardly from the head portion. The hollow head portion includes a shiftable cylinder in which a piston secured to a driver blade is slidably mounted. The lower end of the driver blade is slidably mounted in a drive track to which fasteners, such as nails or staples, are successively supplied by a magazine assembly. A control valve carried on the housing selectively shifts the open end of the cylinder into and out 2 of engagement with a valve means so that compressed air from a reservoir including portions of the head portion and the hollow handle is selectively admitted to the cylinder for driving the piston and driver blade downwardly.

An improved piston and driver assembly includes the piston which is formed with a generally cylindrical recess at its lower end defined by an upper end Wall and a cylindrical side wall including a flat portion. The driver blade is provided with an offset upper end and an adjacent flat portion that are received within a recess with the oifset end adjacent the flat wall and with the fiat portion engaging the flat portion of the cylindrical wall of the recess. A cylindrical locking member mounted in the recess holds the olfset end of the blade against the end wall and includes a fiat portion formed on its periphery disposed adjacent the flat portion on the driver blade. The cooperating flat portions on the locking member, piston and driver blade hold the driver blade in a fixed position relative to the piston. A resilient cushion can be interposed between the offset portion of the blade and the locking member.

The magazine assembly, which is formed integral with the main housing, connects the lower portions of the head portion and the rearwardly extending handle and includes a rail or supporting structure adapted to slidably support a strip of fasteners. A follower arm slidably mounted on the supporting structure is biased into engagement with the rear end of the strip of fasteners by a suitable biasing means so that individual fasteners are successively supplied to the drive track for engagement by the driver blade. The upper end of the magazine housing or assembly is provided with an opening that is closed by a cover that is locked in closed or open position by a latch means mounted on the housing at a position spaced rearwardly from the lower end of the handle portion.

To provide new and improved means for inserting strips of fasteners into the magazine, the lower end of the handle portion, which overlies a portion of the opening in the magazine housing or assembly, is provided with an opening in which is disposed a staple guiding structure. When the cover plate is retracted to its rear or open position and locked therein by the latch means, the supporting rail or structure in the magazine assembly is at least partially exposed. A strip of fasteners can now be inserted in and advanced through the opening in the handle in engagement with the guiding means to be disposed on the supporting rail. Because of the opening formed in the handle, the magazine can be provided with a strip of fasteners having a length considerably in excess of the distance between the rear edge of the head portion and the forward edge of the handle portion to which the magazine housing is connected.

Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the draw ings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view in partial section disclosing a pneumatically actuated fastener driving tool embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating a magazine assembly included in the fastener driving tool shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a piston and driver blade assembly included in the fastener driving device;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6ti in FIG. and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the piston and driver blade assembly.

Referring now more specifically to FIG. 1 of the drawings therein is shown a fastener driving apparatus, indicated generally as it which embodies the present invention and which includes a housing 12. The housing l2 includes a vertically extending head or forward portion 14 and a hollow handle portion in extending rearwardly from the head portion 14. The head portion includes a cylinder 18 that is vertically shiftable relative to a valve element (not shown) between opened and closed positions under the control of a safety valve assembly and a control valve assembly 22 so that compressed air is selectively admitted into the interior of the cylinder 18 to drive a piston and a connected driver blade 26 downwardly. The lower end of the driver blade 2c is slidably received in a drive track 28 defined by a structure that is formed integral With or is rigidly secured to the housing 12.

To provide means for successively feeding individual fasteners or staples 3t from a strip 32 thereof to the drive track 2%, the tool or tacker includes a magazine assembly, indicated generally as 34, which extends rearwardly from the head portion 14 to be secured to the lower end of a downwardly and rearwardly extending portion a of the hollow handle 16. To permit staple strips 3.2 of a length exceeding the distance between the head portion 14 and the handle portion 16a to be inserted into the magazine assembly 34, the lower end of the handle portion 16a is provided with an opening 36 (FIG. 2) overlying a portion of the magazine assembly 34: through which the strip 32 can be inserted into the cavity defined by the magazine assembly 34. Thus, long strips 32 of fasteners or staples 35 can be provided in the magazine assembly 34 without requiring relative movement between magazine assembly 34 and the housing 12 and without sacrificing the structural strength of the housing 12.

The basic components and construction of the fastener driving tool 10 are shown and described in detail in the above identified copending Wandel et a1. application and in another copending application of Oscar A. Wandel and Richard H. Doyle, Serial No. 793,53 6, filed February 16, 1959, which copending application is assigned to the same assignee as the present application. As disclosed therein, the head portion 14 defines an upper chamber or cylinder 38 and a lower chamber or cylinder The upper chamber 33 supports a sleeve 42 in which the cylinder 18 is slidably mounted, and the lower end of the piston 2 is slidably mounted in the cylinder The chamber ill is normally connected to the atmosphere, and a portion of the cylinder or chamber 38 disposed above the sleeve 42 is supplied with compressed air from a reservoir in the hollow handle 16. A nipple 44 connected to the hollow handle 16 provides means for connecting a compressed air line to the tool 10.

In the normal condition of the tool 10, compressed air from the reservoir in the hollow handle 16 is supplied through the control valve assembly 22 and the safety valve assembly 21 to the lower portion of the chamber 38 so that this compressed air acts on the lower surface of a flange 18a formed integral with the cylinder. The upper surface of this flange is connected to the atmosphere through a port 46. Thus, the compressed air in the lower portion of the chamber 38 provides an upwardly directed component of force that seats the upper end of the cylinder 18 on the main valve element (not shown) to close ofl communication between the compressed air in the chamber 3% and the interior of the cylinder 18.

When the fastener driving tool lid is to be operated, the valve assemblies 29 and 22 are operated to connect the lower portion of the chamber 3% to the atmosphere. The compressed air acting on the effective upper surfaces of the cylinder 18 moves this cylinder downwardly away from the main valve element so that compressed air enters the upper end of the cylinder 18. This acts on the piston 24 to move this piston and the connected driver blade 26 downwardly to engage and drive a fastener or staple 3h supplied by the magazine assembly 34. A resilient bumper 4% provided in the lower end of the chamber 4% cushions the interruption of the downward movement of the piston 24. When the valve assemblies 26 and 22 are released, compressed air is again supplied to the lower end of the chamber 33 to provide an upwardly directed component or" force that moves the cylinder 1% upwardly so that its upper end again engages the main valve element. Incident to this movement, an exhaust valve assembly 5% disposed above the upper end of the piston 24 is operated to connect the upper end of the interior of the cylinder 18 to the atmosphere. This permits the compressed air supplied to the lower end of the chamber 38 to pneumatically return the piston 24 and the driver blade 2b to the normal position illustrated in PEG. 1.

The improved piston and driver blade assembly is illustrated in M88. 57 of the drawings and include means for securing the driver blade 26 in a desired position on the piston 2 offset from the axis thereof. The piston 24 includes an upper recess or opening 5.2, which reduces its weight, and a lower cylindrical recess 54 defined by an end wall 56 and a cylindrical side wall 58 having a cutout or flat wall portion on. The driver blade 26 is provided with a generally flat portion 62 adjacent its upper end and with an offset end portion 64 having a centrally disposed opening as. This upper end of the driver blade at is disposed in the recess 54 with the offset end portion 64 positioned adjacent the end wall so of the recess and with the flat portion 62 disposed in or adjacent the cutout or fiat wall portion 6%) on the piston 24.

To provide means for securing the driver blade 26 to the piston 22 5, a cylindrical plug or locking member 68 having a that wall portion 63a and an axially extending open ng "ill is disposed in the recess 5%- with the flat wall portion 63a disposed adjacent the flat portion 62 on the driver blade 26. A washer 72, which includes a fiat wall portion 72a and an axial opening 74, and an annular resilient pad 76, which includes a fiat wall portion 76a and an axial opening '78, are interposed between the upper surface of the member 68 and the adjacent lower surface of the offset end portion 64 of the driver blade 2s. The washer '72 and the resilient pad 76 are positioned within the recess 54 with the flat edge portion 72a and 76a disposed adjacent the flat portion 62 on the driver blade at. A lock spring '79 is disposed in an internally threaded and axially xtending opening 8% in the piston 24, and a threaded fastener 32 extends through the openings 7%, 74, 73 and 66 in the elements 68, '72, 76 and 64, respectively, to threadedly engage the lock spring 79. The fastener $2 secures these elements in an assembled position on the piston 24 and within the recess 5 The engagement of the flat portion 62 on the driver blade 26 with the fiat portions 6%, 68a, 76a and 720! on the piston 24, the locking member 68, the resilient pad '76, and the washer '72 secures the driver blade 26 in a predetermined position relative to the piston 24 offset from the axis thereof. The resilient pad 76 permits limited axial movement of the blade as relative to the piston 24 and serves to cushion the termination of the downward stroke of the piston so as to prevent embrittlement of the blade 26. Further, the position of the lower end of the blade 26 can be adjusted by moving the washer '72 from the position illustrated to one interposed between the wall 56 and the upper surface of the end portion 64. This permits the lower end of the blade 26 to move closer to the workpiece at the end of its power stroke. A flanged upper end of the piston 24 includes a peripheral groove carrying a resilient O-ring 8 that slidably engages the inner wall of the cylinder 38, and the lower end of the piston 24 includes a peripheral groove carrying a resilient O-ring 86 that slidably engages the inner wall of the cylinder 40.

The magazine assembly 34 for successively supplying individual staples 30 to the drive track 28 includes a housing including a pair of side walls 88 and 90 formed integral with the casting that comprises the housing 12. The housing defined by the side walls 88 and 90 is open at the bottom, as indicated at 92 in 'FIG. 4, and includes a top opening 94. A supporting means or rail 96 for slidably receiving the strip 32 of fasteners is suitably mounted on the walls 88 and 90 spaced substantially midway therebetween. The rear end of the rail 96 can be secured to the Walls 88 and 90 by a fastener 98 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a pair of sleeves or spacer tubes 100 disposed between the walls 88 and 90 and the adjacent sidewalls of the rail 96. The forward end of the rail is carried on and secured to the housing 12 adjacent a discharge opening from the magazine assembly 34 into the drive track 28. The top opening 94 in the housing for the magazine assembly 34 is normally closed by a cover 102 having a pair of offset edge portions 102a and 1022b (FIG. 4) that are slidably received in a pair of grooves 104 and 106 formed in the inner surfaces of the walls 88 and 90.

To provide means for resiliently biasing the strip 32 mounted on the rail 96 toward the drive track 28, a generally U-shaped follower 108 is provided which is slidably mounted on the top of the rail 96. To provide a means for resiliently biasing the follower 108 toward the drive track 28, a single tension spring .1 is provided. The two ends of the spring 110 are secured to two offset tabs 108a and 1023b on the follower 108, and the intermediate portions of the spring 110 pass around a pair of pulleys 112 and 114 disposed on opposite sides of the rail 96. The center or the bight portion of the spring 110 is secured to the rear end of the cover 102 by a swaged portion 1020 (FIG. 1). The pulleys 112 and 114 are rotatably mounted on a pair of depending arms 116 and 118 (FIG. 4) that are carried on the cover 102. Accordingly, when the follower 108 is displaced to the right (FIG. 1) to permit the insertion of a strip 32 of staples 30, the two halves of the tension spring 110 disposed on the opposite sides of the rail 96 are extended so that the follower 108 is biased to the left (FIG. 1) to urge the strip 32 toward the drive track 28.

The cover 102 can be shifted between a first or closed position in which the top opening 94 of the magazine housing is closed and a second or open position in which the top opening 94 is uncovered to expose the supporting means or rail 96. The fastener driving tool 10 includes a latch assembly, indicated generally as 120, for securing the cover 102 in these two positions. The latch assembly 120 includes a latch element 122 that is pivotally mounted on one side of the rear end of the rail 96 by a pivot pin 124. The latch element 122 is normally biased in a clockwise direction by a compression spring 126 which is disposed in a recess 128 formed in the rail 96 and which bears on an offset portion of the latch element 122. Thus, a lobe or arm 122a formed integral with the latch element 122 is normally biased into engagement with the lower surface of the cover 102 and is adapted to be received within an opening 130 in the cover 102 when this cover is in its first or closed position (FIG. 1). When the arm 122a is received within the opening 130, the cover 102 cannot be moved from its closed position.

When the cover 102 is to be shifted to its second or open position to permit the insertion of a strip 32 of staples 30 into the magazine assembly 34, a finger por tion 12212 formed integral with the latch element 122 is manually engaged so that the latch element 122 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction against the action of the compression spring 126. This moves the arm 122a out of the opening 130. The cover 102 can now be moved to the right (FIGS. 1 and 2) with the outer extremity of the arm 122a sliding along the lower surface of the cover 102. When the cover v102 is shifted to the open position illustrated in FIG. 2, the latch element 122 is pivoted in a clockwise direction by the spring 126 so that the arm 122a enters a second opening 132. The latch assembly 120 now secures the cover 102 in its open position. Since the pulleys 112 and 114 around which the tension spring 1 10 passes are carried on the cover 102, the movement of this cover from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 withdraws the follower 108 to the position shown in FIG. 2 so that the rail 96 is unobstructed to permit the insertion of a strip 32 of staples 30.

Since the magazine assembly 34 is formed by structures that are integral with or rigidly secured to the main housing 12 of the tool 10, this magazine assembly cannot be shifted relative to the main housing to facilitate the insertion of strips 32 of staples 30. Accordingly, the downwardly and rearwardly extending portion of the hollow portion 16a of the hollow handle 16 to which the side walls 88 and of the housing of the magazine assembly 34 are secured is provided with the opening 36 that is aligned with and overlies at least a portion of the top opening 94 in the housing for the assembly '34. The opening 36, which is as high as the strips 32, permits the insertion of strips 32 of staples 30 that are considerably longer than the distance between the rear surface of the head portion 14 and the leading or forward edge of the handle portion 16a. To facilitate the insertion of a fastener strip 32 and to assure its correct alignment with the supporting means or rail 96, the handle portion 16a carries an interchangeable guide element 134 (FIGS. 2-4) that is detachably mounted on the handle portion 16a within or in alignment with the opening 36. The guide element 134 includes a pair of flange portions 134a and 134b that are secured to the handle portion 16a by a pair of fasteners 136. A central and generally U- shaped portion 134 is mounted in the center of the opening 36 in alignment with the rail 96. Although the guiding structure 134 shown in the drawings is of a configuration for guiding a strip 32 of narrow crown staples 30 into a proper position on the rail 96, it is obvious that the detachable guide member 134 can be provided in a variety of different shapes conforming to the configurations and sizes of the strips 32 of fasteners to be supplied by the magazine assembly 34.

When a strip of fasteners is to be inserted in the magazine assembly 34, the cover 102 is moved from its closed position shown in FIG. 1 to the open position shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the top opening 94 in the housing of the magazine assembly 34 is opened so that the supporting rail 96 is exposed and the follower 108 is retracted to a position disposed rearwardly of the opening 36 in the handle portion 16a. The leading or front edge of a strip 32 of fasteners is inserted into the U-shaped portion 1340 of the guide member 134, and the strip 32 is moved forwardly or to the left in FIG. 2 so that the legs of the individual staples 30 in the strip 32 are disposed on opposite sides of the rail 96. The strip 32 is moved forwardly so that the crown portion of the first staple 30 in the strip 32 slides along the top surfaces of the rail 96. When the rear end of the strip 32 drops from the U-shaped portion 134a of the guide structure 134, the crowns of the individual staples 30 in the strip 32 rest on the upper surface of the rail 96.

The finger portion 12% of the latch element 122 is then forced upwardly against the force of the spring 126 so that the latch element 122 pivots in a counterclockwise direction. This moves the end of the arm 122a out of the opening 132 so that the cover 102 can be moved to the left from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 1. During this forward movement, the pulleys 112 and 114 are moved to the left so that the follower 108 is also moved to the left and into engagement with the last staple 30 in the strip 32. Continuing movement of the cover 102 to the left elongates the two portions of the tension spring 111 disposed on the opposite sides of the rail 96 so that the forward edge of the follower 108 is urged against the strip 32 to bias this strip toward the drive track 28. When the cover 102 reaches its first or closed position, the compression spring 126 pivots the latch element 122 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 124 so that the arm 122a enters the opening 130. This secures the cover 102 in its closed position covering the top opening 94- in the housing of the magazine assembly 34.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a single embodiment thereof, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make many other modifications and embodiments that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a fastener driving device, a housing providing a forward portion and rearwardly extending handle, said forward portion including structure defining a drive track, a magazine assembly secured to said forward portion and said handle for supplying fasteners to said drive track, said handle being formed with a recessed portion adjacent the rear end of said magazine assembly, and guide means positioned in said recessed portion for guiding movement of a strip of fasteners through said recessed portion into said magazine assembly.

2. In a fastener driving device, a first housing including a forward portion and a rearwardly extending handle, a second housing carried on said first housing and extending between said forward portion and said handle, said second housing being at least partially open at the top, supporting means in said second housing for slidably supporting a strip of fasteners, an opening formed in said handle adjacent the rear end of said second housing through which a strip of fasteners can be inserted into said second housing, said opening in said handle being aligned with the open top of said second housing, the length of said strip of fasteners being longer than the portion of said second housing that is disposed between said forward portion and the front edge of said handle portion.

3. The fastener driving device set forth in claim 2 including guide means mounted in said opening in said handle and adapted to engage and guide a strip of fasteners into a position carried on said supporting means.

4. In a fastener driving device, a housing defining a forward portion and a rearwardly extending handle portion, a magazine housing extending between said forward portion and said handle portion, said magazine housing having a top opening, supporting means mounted in said magazine below said top opening and adapted to receive a strip of fasteners, and a cover slidably mounted on said magazine housing and movable between a first position covering said top opening and a second position in which at least a portion of said supporting means is exposed, said handle portion being formed with a recessed portion generally aligned with said exposed portion of said supporting means when said cover is moved to said second position so as to permit a strip of fasteners to he inserted into said magazine housing through said recessed portion in said handle portion.

5. In a fastener driving device, a first housing including a forward portion and an integrally formed enclosed and rearwardly extending handle portion, a magazine housing extending between said forward portion and said handle portion, said magazine housing having an opening in its upper surface and being positioned so that said enclosed handle portion is located above at least a portion of said opening, and supporting means in said magazine housing for supporting a strip of fasteners, said enclosed handle portion including a recessed portion disposed above at least a portion of said opening so that a strip of fasteners can be inserted through said recessed portion and said opening to be mounted on said supporting means.

6. In a fastener driving device, a first housing having integrally formed therewith a forward portion, a rearwardly extending handle, and a magazine housing extending between said forward portion and said handle portion, said magazine housing including an open top disposed at least partially beneath an opening formed in said handle portion; supporting means disposed in said magazine housing for supporting a strip of fasteners; and a guide structure disposed adjacent said opening in said handle portion and adapted to engage a strip of fasteners inserted into the opening in said handle portion to guide said strip through the opening in said magazine housing to said supporting means.

7. The fastener driving device set forth in claim 6 including a cover slidably mounted on said first housing for covering the opening in said magazine housing, and latch means mounted on said magazine housing at a point spaced rearwardly from the opening in said handle portion, said latch means engaging said cover to lock said cover in a predetermined position on said magazine housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,314,847 Polzer Mar. 23, 1943 2,715,220 Spencer Aug. 16, 1955 2,719,295 Marano Oct. 4, 1955 2,781,515 Juilfs Feb. 19, 1957 2,801,415 Jenny Aug. 6, 1957 2,850,738 Campbell Sept. 9, 1958 2,887,686 Wandel May 26, 1959 

